Peters



(No Model.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. W. REAL.

OULTIVATOR.

Patnted Apr. 10, 1888..

L NP H Q 2 SheetsSheet 2. T. W. BEAL.

GULTIVATOR (No Model.)

Patented Apr; 10,1888.

EH5v PhvluLiMu-ognpher. Walhi I of my improved cultivator.

NITED STATES PATENT Orrin.

THOMAS W. BEAL, OF SANDWICH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SANDVIGH ENTERPRISE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CULTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,783, dated April 10, 1888.

Application filed March 22, 1857. Serial No. 231,933. (No model.) 7

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. BEAL, of Sandwich, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to wheel-cultivators; and the primary object of the invention is to provlde novel coupling mechanism between the cultivator-beams and the wheel-axles, which permits of such connection with springs or with the draft that either or both of these instrumentalities may be made to assist in lifting the hoes above the ground, or in forcing them into the ground; also to provide means especlally adapted to this class of cultivators for equalizing the draft on the horses, and to produce such other useful results as will be pointed out herein.

To these ends it consists in the construction and combination of parts herein fully described, and pointed out definitely in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the upper part of the machine on line 2 in Fig. 1, looking toward the rear end thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view of the coupling mechanism with the wheel cut off. Fig. 4'is a front view of said coupling mechanism. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5, and Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the mechanism for equalizing the draft.

Referring to the parts by letters of my invention shown in said drawings, A represents the tongue, which extends backward to form an important part of the main frame.

B represents a cross-bar, which is rigidly secured to said tongue at right angles thereto. The bars or supports G G and O O are adjustably secured to said cross-bar B, preferably in the manner shown, to wit: Their upper ends are provided with transverse bearings 0 which slip over the'cross-bar B, one pair of supports, 0 0, being on one side of the tongue and the other pair, 0 G, on the other side thereof, and they are prevented from revolving or from movinglaterally by the set-screws c c. If desired, their revolution may be prevented by maklng the cross-bar B angular in cross-section and giving to the bearings in the supports 0 G the same form. In the lowerends of the supports 0 O are bearings 0 in which the wheel-axles D D are loosely mounted, while the wheels F F are loosely mounted on the outer ends of said axles.

Between the lower ends of the supports 0 O a coupling, E,having the rearward projections,

G G, is rigidly secured to each axle. These couplings E prevent the axles from slipping out of their bearings, and, if desired, may be integral parts of the axle to which they are secured; but, for convenience in setting up the machine, I prefer that they be made in separate pieces and secured together by means of a set-screw, d, or other appropriate means. The rearward projections, G G, are adapted to be connected with the forward ends of the cultivator-beams I by means of the vertical 0 pivot-bolts z.

An arm, 6, extends upward from the coupling E, and is rigidly secured thereto. The upper ends of each pair of supports 0 O O O are preferably rigidly connected together byashort 7 5 arm, 0, and to this arm a bent spring, H, is attached on each side of the machine. The lower ends of these springs are bent backward, and are connected by the links h to the arms e. The force of the springs is always exerted to So draw said arms forward, thereby acting against the weight of the cultivator-beams and assisting in lifting and handling them. An arm, 6, is also secured to the coupling E, and may project both downward and upward therefrom. The draft rod or chain J is preferably secured to this arm 6, and when secured below the axle the effect of the draft is to force the hoes into the ground and to hold them there when the cultivator is in motion. A'number of eyes, 0 e e, are provided in said arm, and the draftrod may be secured in any one of these. The farther the point of attachment is below the axle D the greater will be the force with which the hoes are pressed into the ground. If it is 5 not desired that any of the draft shall be used for this purpose, the rods J may be attached to the eye e in line with the axle. If it is de sired that the draft shall in a measure assist in lifting the cultivator-beams, the rod J may be ico attached to an eye above the center of the axle.

The coupling E, the projections G, the arms wheels.

e and e, and the axle D may be made as separate pieces; but it is necessary that in opera tion they shall be rigidly secured together, so that any movement of one shall produce a corresponding movement of all the others. In practice I prefer to make the aide in one piece, and the coupling, projections, and arms in another pieee, and secure them together by m cans of a set-screw, d, or other appropriate means.

In operation, when the beams are lifted or depressed, the axles D turn in their bearings without'affecting in any way the motion of the The beams are also permitted a lateral movement, swinging on the pivot-bolt t.

It Will be noticed that the draft-rods J are attached directly in front of the beams I, and that the pull is in line with said bars; or, in other words, each horse pulls directly in line with the resistance. The effect of this is that the wheels and frame are pushed ahead of the beams and much of the strain upon connecting devices is obviated.

The distance between beams may be varied, thereby adapting the cultivator for use with all widths of planting, and this change is accomplished by loosening the set-screw 0 and sliding the supports 0 O and G 0 along the cross-bar B, fastening them at the desired point. This movement of the supports 0 0 causes a like movement of the coupling and all the parts connected therewith, thereby varying the distance between the furrows, but retaining the parts in the same relative position, to operate as described above.

M represents a cross bar secured to the tongue A, and N a doubletree or evener pivotally secured to said tongue in front of said bar M. Pivoted to the bar M are the arms at m, and depending loosely from the doubletree N are the arms a n. The arms on are preferably bent forward at their middle points, and the links mm connect the arms at and 7!. near their middle points. The draft-rods J are secured to the lower end of the arms M, and the pull of the machine is transmitted by means of the links m to the middle of the arms N.

' The horses are attached to the lower ends of the arms n. By this arrangement the draft of the horses is equalized to a greater extent and a greater freedom of motion allowed the horses than in other devices without affecting materially the relative amount of work performed. The lower end of one of the arms N will move forward as far as the evener on that side moves rearward when the horse attached on that side moves ahead of its mate. In other devices, when the horse is attached to a depending rod between the evener and the points where the draft-rod is attached, the horse can move only partly as far as the evener moves without increasing his work. The draft-rod J might be attached directly to the middle of the arm N if the couplings E were high enough; but in machines as ordinarily constructed the arms M are necessary to transmit the draft horizontally instead of at an angle.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a rigid crossbar and supports adj ustably secured thereto having bearings in their lower ends, and springs secured to said supports with short axles loosely mounted in said bearings, means for securing the cultivator-beams to said axle, arms extending upward from said axles and rigidly con nected therewith, and connecting devices be tween said arms and springs, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a cultivator,short axles loosely mounted in suitable bearings having rearward-projecting coupling-jaws rigidly secured to said axles, combined with means for attaching the draft directly to said axles, or some part rigidly connected therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the tongue, a crossbar rigidly secured thereto having pivoted to each end a depending arm with an evener pivoted to said tongue, an arm loosely depending from each end thereof, and links which connect the depending arms on each side of the tongue together near their middle point-s, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

' THOMAS W. BEAL. \Vitnesses:

A. E. BLAIR,

G. H. ROBERTSON. 

